February 2, 2010

Just as we’d be appalled if any public figure of Rahm’s stature ever used the “N-word” or other such inappropriate language, Rahm’s slur on all God’s children with cognitive and developmental disabilities – and the people who love them – is unacceptable, and it’s heartbreaking.

This is a good place for Palin to posture, but, seriously, I think that anyone who takes this trumped-up offense seriously is... pretty silly.

No big water-carrier for Palin, I, but good for her. Rahm cannot expect himself to be held to the same standard as Joe Everyman. He is the CoS for the POTUS and everything he says should first come through that lens, if for no other reason than political survival.

Does Rahm hate "retards"? Probably not. Does Imus hate black, female basketball players with questionable hairdos? Probably not, but he lost his job.

These are the wages of PC speech and the culture it pervades. If that were not the case, I would tell Palin to go far, stay long, get over it while you're there. But our culture IS steeped in PC and it's the left that has done it to us. They came up with the rules and set the stage...they have to expect to be held to the same ridiculous, free-speech-killing standards.

Julius makes a good point from a political point of view. She knows there's not a snowball's chance in hell Rahm is leaving that job, but slings and arrows, death by a thousand cuts, etc, etc. Politically, another saavy thrust from Palin's corner.

It is a very well-thought-out attack on politically correct speaking. She's not seriously insisting that Emanuel be fired, but she is seriously drawing the logical consequences of Obama & Co's language-policing. The offense is the way-of-thinking, not the remark. How fucking smart of her.

Remember, dear Professor: This is modern America. All politics is political theater. God made Sarah Palin and her boobies for just this sort of environment...

How is that a slur on people with cognitive disabilities? Did he say something about people with cognitive disabilities? No, he said that certain people without cognitive disabilities seemed as if they did have cognitive disabilities.

I understood the anger about the Special Olympics remark because it demeaned an event where people are striving their hardest to do their best.

This just seems like something to get all worked up over without much basis.

How is that a slur on people with cognitive disabilities? Did he say something about people with cognitive disabilities? No, he said that certain people without cognitive disabilities seemed as if they did have cognitive disabilities.

Well, he said it like that's a bad thing. Which, to be fair, it kind of is.

Good for Sarah Palin. Strong people need to stand up for those unable to defend themselves.

Would Rahm Emmanuel say "fucking Jew?"Or maybe "fucking girls". Probably not, as Jews and women (and others) can defend themselves. There would be a price to pay. So he disparages people who are at the bottom of the barrell.

Maybe you think his comments aren't a big deal. So be it. But that doesn't mean that they are okay, and it means that Emmanuel should be held to account for what he said.

"Retarded" is not, as she suggests, the equivalent of the "n word." It's pretty ignorant to make that equivalence.

The reality is, our language wants to have words that mean "stupid" that also convey the speaker's anger about his target's stupidity. That search for new, more wounding words to express that meaning always leads to the latest and most acceptable term for people with impaired cognitive functioning, which term then becomes so loaded with negative associations that it has to be replaced.

For many years, "retarded" was the acceptable alternative to "moron," "imbecile" and "idiot," all of which were technical terms in the mental health sphere until their abuse required their replacement. This is the "euphemism treadmill," an effect noted also in terms for things ranging from toilets to prison camps.

That is nothing like the etymology of the "n word." That word was always meant to denigrate and degrade its target. Even its ironic use -- such as in "Pulp Fiction" -- is a clear reference to the word's derogatory qualities.

On the issue of mental retardation, Palin has the zeal of a convert. If she wasn't the mother of a Down's syndrome child herself, Emanuel's comment wouldn't have caused her to bat an eye.

Sarah Palin is the only politician with the life story and the chops to shoot that accusaion at Obama's henchman. Maybe it is unfair to win by shooting a fish in a barrel, unless we want that fish removed from the game. Politics ain't beanbag, Rahm.

Michael, the reason that he wouldn't say those other things is because they wouldn't make any sense. What would they even mean? By saying what he said, he meant, "You guys seem cognitively disabled!" or "I don't think you're acting intelligently."

His choice of language was classless, but I don't think it's a slur on the disabled.

For many years, "retarded" was the acceptable alternative to "moron," "imbecile" and "idiot," all of which were technical terms in the mental health sphere until their abuse required their replacement.

The term Negro was a no no until Harry Reid brought it back into fashion.

I must say, it is difficult keeping up with what's acceptable from day to day anymore.

From the article: Palin called for his firing for comments attributed to him in a Jan. 26 Wall Street Journal article where he called plans by liberal groups to run ads against moderate Democrats "F—ing retarded."

Seems to me that Emanuel used the phrase -- the whole phrase -- quick correctly. He wasn't referring to the cognitively disabled. He was referring to liberals.

2) This is straight out of the Alinsky playbook of forcing your opponent to live up to his own standards. Couric wanted to know what Palin reads? Evidently "Rules for Radicals" made the list.

3) For a group of people whose main line of argument consists of calling their opponents 'racists' in a completely cynical (and failed) attempt to delegitimize their policy disagreements, complaining about this is so irony rich that they should just sprinkle some powdered sugar on it and call it breakfast.

You can criticize Palin all you want, but this is hardly the first time she's hemmed in Obama's administration and forced them to retreat - even if this particular thing is minor. And she did it from the lofty perch of a Facebook page. It's no wonder that the recent Supreme Court decision sent Obama into such a tailspin. If one citizen with a Facebook page can embarrass his closest adviser, just imagine what people who can afford to run ads against him will be able to do.

So which is it: Is Sarah Palin such a political genius that she can outclass the entirety of the Obama administration by repeatedly manipulating the political discourse from Facebook or is it just that Obama is so pathetic that an out-of-office private citizen with what the Left keeps insisting is a sub-average IQ can outmaneuver him politically over and over again?

I think guerrilla theater protocol mandates Palin's tactic at every turn. These moronic lefties with their sanctimonious positions on every single solitary topic need to have any violations thrown up in their faces. Always. Make them eat it.

How fucking comprehensive of you. And fucking correct too, on both fucking counts!

One more thing:

This is exactly the sort of question that the good little American proles can discuss around the dinner table. "Is calling someone a retard wrong?" "How about if the Chief-of-Staff to the President says it?" It's the sort of thing that has legs once it gets sufficiently out of the gate. And the question will always be associated with Palin. With her cred of having a child with Downs Syndrome, the only possible result is that she ends up looking good and Obama & Co end up looking bad. Then Rahm plays rights into the publicity game when he apologizes.

Ramn's style has seemed more like the nasty Carville/Begala mode, not the more calculated CoS role of a Leon Panetta for example. But I agree with HD, please keep him, Holder, SEC Treasury Timmy and all those czars around well into 2012.

Thus displaying the length and breadth of your reasoning on this particular subject? Pitiful and yet another example of your trollish, lazy intellect.

I am frankly amused by the way she, a failed VP candidate and now former governor seems to have perfected the art of forcing the Obama administration to react to her. Any strategic expert will tell you this is side of loosing.

On the other hand I consider her to be a policy lightweight, somewhat pandering, and not ready for high office. Her stint at FNC, while maybe the best thing for her punditry, isn't the best thing for her if she's got long-term political aspirations.

So, no, I don't readily defend her on any front because I don't really care. She's got some serious horizon expanding to do before she would get my vote.

You, on the other hand...I can say for absolutely certainty that you would get an anvil instead of a life jacket from me.

Quasimodo said..."I see no no difference between this and using the dreaded "N" word. None at all. Except the targets of Rahm's derision are less able to defend themselves."

Oh, so you're saying, because he was referring to Democrats, "they're less able to defend themselves"...because they're not very good at delaying (retarding) the development or progress of their actions?

It's not just this one thing. It's everything - the combative mode of Obama's handlers - the with-hunts, the perpetual campaign mode, the sending out of Obama's ACORN/SEIU stormtroopers every time Rahm wants to exact revenge on some segment of the society or legislature that isn't falling in to line.

It's the mentality that the White House is at war with American citizens. Instead of dialogue we have tactics employed against the people. For simply disagreeing, asking questions and saying, "No."

It should be remembered that a lot of awesome words used to belittle fucking retarded people were once associated with developmental pathologies. Moron. Idiot. Imbecile. To think fucking retarded is the same as fucking n*ggers is pretty moronic.

It was a good political stab by Palin to point out the PC hypocracy of the democrats.

But really, why is it wrong to call someone retarded when they're not even remotely retarded?

If you run up to a "cognitively disabled" child and taunt him by calling him retarded, then certainly you've done a bad thing. The child is faultless and deserves our pity and compassion, and does not deserve taunts and insults. All grown up people should know this.

But using a word to describe stupidity and directing it at someone who is not "cognitively disabled" is an insult and there's no getting around that.

Would it have been better if Rahm had said "Oh, he's a fucking cognitively disabled person?"

Face it, there's no good way to insult someone's intelligence without implying that they don't have intelligence. If we forbid using any adjective or descriptive noun to describe someone's intelligence then what we're saying is that we shouldn't ever insult someone.

Hmm. How about that? The rule should be not that "retard" is so hurtful, but that insulting someone is uncivil and shows a lack of character and manners. That's the real problem. The specific word used is not the problem, it's the insult itself.

To answer my initial question in this post, it is wrong to call someone retarded because you're not supposed to insult people, not because a specific word was used in the insult. It was a mildly obvious avenue of attack for Palin and might have gotten a small jab in, but all it really did was to further the cause of political correctness and made it more possible for future democrats and busy bodies to forbid the use of specific words.

@AllenS, that works a bit better since it doesn't appear to be aimed at a particular group. The problem with words like n*gger isn't that they are intrinsically bad, it is that the associations are bad. Plenty of once terrible words are now very much ok in modern parlance.

Parents of special-needs kids can be very aggressive in defense of their children--I know I am--and I don't think it's a bug, but a feature. I don't think Sarah Palin is doing this for political gain--that's just a side benefit. She hasn't taken up this issue--she LIVES this issue. It's also not political with me. If I heard Karl Rove say the same thing I'd be tempted to kick his fucking ass too.

Well, to be fair, people with retarded relations can be very sensitive about that kind of thing. I got chewed out by a girl once because her brother was literally retarded, and she didn't appreciate my liberal use of such a derogatory term.

Beth:People here were just having a conversation about a very sensitive topic and you appear with your hateful remarks. Do you defend the use of the term that Mr. Emanuel used? Do you use it yourself? Are you trying to hide behind the passage of time to cover your mean spirited support of people who mock the disadvantaged? People are people you know even if they don't have the gifts that were bestowed on you.

I used to call people fucking retarded when I was in high school. It is a crude term and I could see how actual mentally challenged people might be offended. I go out of my way to avoid using it, even though occasionally it is so appropriate to describe certain people.

That alone is not grounds to fire Rahm Emanuel. There are plenty of other grounds to fire Rahm Emanuel.

I eagerly await the Oprahfication of everything and will cheer when politicians have to enter 'rehab' for sensitivity on the altar those who insist on being outraged. Also, I question whether the use of "retarded" to refer to campaign strategy is offensive. Really?

Beth and Garage:I suppose because you support torture you support the use of the hated term that Emanuel used. The two go together of course. No one who could support the R word could oppose torture. It is just so sad.

Hypocrisy is when the person sermonizing against something is herself doing that very thing. It is not hypocrisy when another person does that thing even if related. Small point, but as a lefty the only sin in your book is hypocrisy so you should at least be able to correctly identify it.

And count me with Hoosier and the others that advocate for Rhambo's continued employment in the Obama administration. This dude (say, Emmanuel--isnt that a Hymie name?) is worth lots of votes for the other side.

Let's face it. What conservatives really want it for Obama to actually do something ridiculous and fire Rahm and to be fair he's got a good track record of throwing people under the bus so why not give it a shot.

⋅tard /rɪˈtɑrd, for 1–3, 5; ˈritɑrd for 4/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ri-tahrd, for 1–3, 5; ree-tahrd for 4] Show IPA Use retard in a SentenceSee images of retardSearch retard on the Web–verb (used with object) 1. to make slow; delay the development or progress of (an action, process, etc.); hinder or impede.

–verb (used without object) 2. to be delayed.

–noun 3. a slowing down, diminution, or hindrance, as in a machine.

so the question is why the knee-jerk reaction to a word thar was used correctly????

I agree with Ann that this is trumped up posturing. i felt the same way about so many Republicans getting all upset and holier thann theou about Harry Reid's remarks. George Will is the only Republican Iheard who said clearly that he thought there was nothing wrong with what Reid had said.

Blacks are reclaiming a former hate word. Compare sexpert Dan Savage's former reference to himself in his columns as "Hey, Faggot!", the former Queer Nation, etc. They're still insults coming from straights, correct?

I was hunting yesterday and saw the rooster, the fabled black pheasant, Phasianus colchicus tenebrosus, which has been seen and missed for months on this preserve. I am sure Althouse commenters will be relieved to learn that I did not even shoot, lest I be suspected of being a racist; and being suspected, be denounced; and being denounced, be convicted.

niger ~gra ~grum 1. Dark in colour, black, or of a colour approaching black. b. (contrasted with white, esp. in proverbial exprs.) c. (as the name of special varieties of plant, commodity, etc.) d. (neut. as sb.) a black spot; ~grum oculi, the dark part of the eye, pupil.

7. Black as the colour associated with death or the dead, dark, sombre: a. (of the Underworld, or things associated with it.) b. (of mourning clothes); (of persons) dressed in mourning (in token of grief). c. (of animals sacrificed to the Underworld.) d. (applied to the day of death.)

But why attack Rahm as a foul mouthed hater of the disabled people among us when a Christian (and Palin is one ) feels like he can kill an abortionist at a church? I await your answer. If Rahm is no worse than a bad Christian, then no one should put him down.

I normally agree with Ann but there is nothing silly about Palin's complaint.

Often, politicians on both sides are pretty insincere in complaining about non-PC remarks by political opponents (i.e., the Reid "negro dialect" remark, and the Lott's remark on Thurmond), but here, there is reason to believe that Palin as the mother of a Down Syndrome child is sincere in taking offense at the remark.

It also is hard to fault her logic in connecting the treatment of comments that are racially offensive with the treatment of comments that are offensive about the disabled.

I think there is a logical and persuasive argument that, in the PC world created by the democrats and liberals, Rahm should resign.

It is true that Rahm was using a derogatory term for disabled to describe someone who was not disabled, but how is that different from using a derogatory term about blacks to decribe a white, e.g. "you're like a lazy N Word?"

Hit back, twice as hard.Make them live to the letter of their own commandments, precisely because it's impossible. It's the language equivalent of work-to-rule, destroying the system by following it precisely.

P.S. I have two tard brothers and am therefore free to describe them as such. It makes the sensitive types get the vapors when I say it.

Here's the distinction, people. R*tard is more or less a word like welfare. It -- or a form of it, retarded -- was once used by progressive types to flower up whatever word was used before for the same thing. R*tard and retarded slowly morphed into something unacceptable because -- and this is where the truth hurts -- the idea of being what the word represents seems terribly wrong to people on a deep and unavoidable psychological level.

N*gger is altogether different. It's just an ugly pejorative for something that is not at all terribly wrong on any level. We can all understand that the color of your skin is in no way de facto negative.

I practically guarantee that Rahm Emmanuel has said fucking Jews, fucking Arabs, fucking bitches, fucking Fundies, fucking moron MOVE people at some point.

I understand that Palin and her present handlers and advisors may just be giving the Dems a taste of Alinsky demonization by their own standards.

If she is serious that Emmanuel should be fired for calling liberal Democrats jeopardizing the election of moderate Democrats - "fucking retards", well then Palin is more fucking retarded than her infant.

Freeman Hunt said... KC, see how you had to put the word lazy in there? Try it without that. Doesn't even make sense.

Freeman is wrong. Rahm said f-cking r-tard, so I compared it to lazy N Word. Calling someone the N Word without "lazy" would still make my point, as would calling someone r-tard without f_cking. Or calling someone f_cking N Word would make my point. I just used the word lazy as a substitute for Rahm's word f_cking.

Seven Machos said... "Here's the distinction, people. R*tard is more or less a word like welfare. It -- or a form of it, retarded -- was once used by progressive types to flower up whatever word was used before for the same thing. R*tard and retarded slowly morphed into something unacceptable because -- and this is where the truth hurts -- the idea of being what the word represents seems terribly wrong to people on a deep and unavoidable psychological level.

N*gger is altogether different. It's just an ugly pejorative for something that is not at all terribly wrong on any level. We can all understand that the color of your skin is in no way de facto negative.

This is why Palin's argument is a specious reach."

Seven Machos makes no sense to me. Calling someone a N Word is not calling someone something bad? Of course it is. Blacks for years have used the N Word to disparage people. The word historically has been used by whites to disparage people.

The use of r-tard to refer to someone negatively is perfectly analogous using the N Word to refer to someone negatively.

Rahm under the PC code deserves to be fired, but we all know the liberal press will protect him. We also know that a republican COS would have hell to pay for use of such a term.

I'm trying to get at the truth here. There's a big difference. N*gger is bad because it based on a belief that black people are inferior to whites. This isn't true. It was a belief based on a theory that has been discarded by virtually everyone.

R*tard is different. You and I can sit here and say that we think people with mental disabilities are equal in every way. However, in our guts, in deep and dark psychological places, we believe differently.

Here's a simple test: would you rather have been born black or with a serious mental disability? Why?

I think the mother of a child in braces hears the word cripple with more force and impact than the rest of us. I don't think Palin is being manipulative or Machiavellan. She really hurts when she hears that word. I would never use the word douchebag in the presence of Emanuel's mother. The word must have many unpleasant connotations for her.

P.S. Actually, it's not the battle that's the problem. It's a good battle, and an appropriate one for Palin.

But the idea that Emanuel should be fired for using the word r*tard is utterly incongruous. She went too far. Thus, she will seem shrill to ordinary Americans who care far less than people like us about politics.

Give me a fucking break, Fen. Were Palin going to take a stand she'd be talking substance not the lightweight bullshit she flings around. Good God, how any conservative can support this silly woman is beyond me.

I think the mother of a child in braces hears the word cripple with more force and impact than the rest of us. I don't think Palin is being manipulative or Machiavellan. She really hurts when she hears that word.

This is probably true. I would certainly feel that way if one of my kids were Downs Syndrome.

This didn't happen last year. It refers to a Emanuel's Jan 26 WSJ article. Learning about it makes me like Rahm Emanuel more. He was referring to liberal groups running ads against moderate Democrats and has nothing absolutely NOTHING to do with Palin or her child. Period. For her to come swinging in from right field drawing attention to her child and to herself is just bizarre. But all your point about Alinsky are noted.

Sourdough loaves requires a period of retardation that slows yeast activity while allowing the bacterial portion of the sourdough culture to build up an acidic environment wherein the retarded yeast stops fucking. For now on I'm going to say fucking retarded yeast in honor of of Emanuel, and to unnecessarily provoke Palin. For fun.

Now now children. Let us have a little understanding here. Rahm Emanuel's tough guy persona is just compensating. Remember he was a ballet dancer. He must overcome the the common perception of ballet dancers and act like a tough guy.

It is all bluster and charade. If some one, hypothetically speaking, gave him a smack in the face, he would cry like a retarded little beotch.

However, again hypothetically speaking, if some one gave him a smack on the ass, he would smile and drool like a retarded Richard Simmons.

Pastafarian -- I probably have not made a vital distinction clear enough. Let me try again.

I'm not arguing about the substantive equality of the mentally handicapped. I am arguing about how all of this is likely to appear to ordinary Americans who aren't tuned into politics as much as you and I are.

There's a big difference there, and it's more than just the difference between me being an asshole or having a shrewd understanding of the world.

The idea that Rahm should be fired is a just desserts sort of deal. He and other liberals have been after conservatives for years, even in cases of comments much more innocent than what he said. His defense that he did not mean to offend anyone would be more tolerable if liberals had accepted that defense from conservatives in the past.

I would say if Rahm and his liberal pals believe Rush should have been fired for stating an undeniable fact that affirmative action supporting media folks would love to see Donovan McNabb succeed, then Rahm should be fired for using a highly offensive reference to disabled persons as the method to criticize others.

Your distinction between there being nothing bad about being a N word while there is something bad about being a r-tard just makes me shake my head. If we accept your view as relevant and true, then the use of the r-tard word is more offensive, not less offensive. It is using a derogatory term for persons we should all cherish as a means to disparage others. It is not, as you suggest, whether we would want to be a r-tard, it is the level of respect and love we have for disabled and the level of offense we take at Rahm using a term that mocks them. You know liberals would be demanding the head of any republican chief of staff who used the term.

Mentally disabled people haven't been lynched because they're disabled. The history isn't exactly the same.

True. They've just been sterilized, gassed to death and other lovely things.

The issue isn't just the words. It is the double standard. The hypocrisy that if the same words had been uttered by a Repbulican instead of a Democrat there would be no end to the amount of feces hitting the oscillating mechanism being throw by the gibbering monkeys on the left.

People need to be called out on this double standard. The people are sick of it.

My stock answer for Dems who don’t like the fact that the shoe is now on the other foot:

"If these Obama & Obami, er, faux pas are so unimportant, how come every unimportant faux pas of Bush, Quale, or for that matter Ike was important? Could it be that those guys had an (R) after their names?"

Seven, I don't see how this makes Rahm look good, and Palin look bad. Maybe to 7th grade boys, who like to toss around the word "retard"; but they can't vote for 5 whole years, and hopefully, by then, they'll have acquired some common decency.

Re. political correctness: I'd love to be able to advertise for a "draftsman" instead of a "draftsperson". But that's not really the same as using someone's disability as an insult toward a third party.

Refraining from the use of such an insult isn't really political correctness, as I understand it. It's just good manners. I don't know anyone who would take offense at the term "blind" in place of "visually impaired", or "mentally retarded" when used to describe someone who's....mentally retarded. But to use the term "retard", with emphasis on the first syllable, is something else entirely.

I don't know...that's a pretty good point, Seven. Asking for him to be fired is certainly an over-reach.

But that's a fairly standard stock move in politics, so I'm not sure if those ordinary non-political people will take more notice of the over-reach of Palin, or the asshole move of Rahm.

To me, the asshole move stands out more. And unless you're hoping Palin runs, it doesn't really matter if she comes off as shrill; she might expend a little political capital with this, but she'll also make the Dems look bad. Sort of a kamikaze attack.

And as for staying on message: There's a lot of time between now and the next election. Plenty of time to bring up all sorts of topics that make the Dems look bad. To just relentlessly hammer away on a few points might lose people's interest.

Palin's demonstrated some pretty good political instincts in the past.

If Palin would forcibly retire from politics, it would give her more room to say this kind of thing. As it is, because people think she's going to run for president or be some kind of kingmaker, it's a perception problem.

I have to disagree about this making Palin look bad for several reasons:

1) This story doesn't help advance the Left's agenda, so it's mostly going to stay relegated to the "inside baseball" blogs rather than being blown across all the media outlets as it would have been if it had been Palin who uttered the phrase.

2) Those who are most likely to run across this story are also the ones most likely to have already made up their minds one way or the other about Palin.

3) To the extent that people recognize that she has a Downs' child, I would argue that there is not going to be any argument that she went too far. People call for other people to get fired all the time in the world of politics. Pretty much everyone recognizes it for the game it is.

4) This is mainly about Palin staying inside Obama's OODA loop. Forcing Emanuel and Obama to constantly be checking their 6 every time they utter a word or make a statement.

I know it's high fashion to decry the woman as stupid, but she really is playing a very strategic game with Obama and has been for months.

At every turn, she is frustrating Obama and Rahm was just a target of opportunity. She's clearly got them rattled and off their game. She forced Emanuel to make an apology that I'm sure infuriated him to no end. Yep, she sure is stupid and Obama sure is smart.

Happy days are here again. Another >200 comment Palin post is in sight. That is no retard using her Face book page. Obama's boys are getting rattled about negative stories from their media brigade. Another rattled Hitler video with subtitles is coming out soon.

Trooper, you need to give a heads-up when a link goes to a picture of Susan Sarandon. Yes, I read your praises of her in a previous thread; and shuddered uncontrollably. Sweet Jesus, that's just disgusting. Why not link to a naughty shot of Bea Arthur, or Rosie O'Donnell?

Actually Palin is sort of the conservative Al Sharpton. She engenders the same response on the other side, can get the press and can push the meme and the main stream media douche bags can't ignore her. She is a lot like Al Sharpton actually.

Let's see, when Dick Cheney told Patrick Leahy to go FUCK HIMSELF on the Senate floor that was nothing much to be concerned about.But when Rahm says other Democrats are being FUCKING RETARDED then that's just rude, unprofessional, and a firing offense?WTF?What are we in 4th grade now?

JimI think you are giving Palin WAY too much credit here. She is a small pawn in the game.

I seem to recall Lindsay Lohan getting a lot of flack over her use of the word.

Actress Lindsay Lohan uses it, comedian Chris Rock says it, and last year's Ben Stiller movie Tropic Thunder took it to a new low, when it mocked actors who play disabled characters, using the phrase "going full retard." From Hollywood and music, to the water cooler at work, "retard" has slipped back into the lexicon.

I'm not remotely a liberal. My posts on Althouse pretty much show that I am a strong fiscal conservative with libertarian leanings with social issues (even the other Joe at least leans conservative.) That anyone who finds Palin annoying as shit and completely unqualified to be president is labeled liberal is absurd. On the flip side, this knee jerk support for her is just as bad as the knee jerk liberal support for Obama. Like Obama supporters, Palin supporters are largely seeing things in her that simply aren't there.

This latest nonsense to flow out of Palin's mouth provides ample proof that she's a shallow politician who can't look beyond a trivial soundbite. Why the hell to WE Republicans want yet another one of these jokers?

I agree Palin seems to have pretty good political instincts. I doubt that she will be president. She would need to master the art of sounding serious and cerebral, rather than talking in soundbites. You can succeed in politics without that skill, e.g., Pelosi, Reid, etc., but I don't think you can be president.

The right republican (Romney, Gregg, maybe Huckabee, maybe Gingrich, Thume, perhaps Palin) has an opportunity to use the budget issue AND a one term pledge to make a real move at becoming the front runner. I think Gregg in particular would be well positioned to make the move.